Wire-reel.



No. 654,550. Patented July 24, I900. h

J. H. LUDLOW.

WIRE REEL.

plication filed Feb. 8

inrrn Tnrins FFTQ PATENT IRE- REEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters latent No. 654,550, dated July 24, 1900.

Application illed February 8, 1900- Serial No. 4,473.. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may 007eern.-

Beit known that I, JOHN H. LUDLOW, a citi= zen of the United States, residing at Frank- 7 lin, in the county of Franklin and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire-Reels; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which to it appertains to make and use the same.

The inventionrelates to wire-reels,and more particularly to reels designed to be supported in the rear end of farmwagons and to be used for the purpose of reeling up fence-wire after :5 it has been detached from the post or which may be with equal facility used as a wirestretcher.

The object of the invention is to provide a reel of this character which shall be simple of construction, durable in use, and comparatively inexpensive of production and which maybe easily withdrawn from the roll of wire after the same has been wound upon the reel.

With this object in view the invention consists in certain details of construction and combination of parts, which will be hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a wagon-box, illustrat- 3'0 ing my invention; and Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view, on an enlarged scale, showing the reel removed.

In the drawings the same reference characters indicate the same parts of the invention. 5 1 denotes the reel supporting frame, to which is journaled the axle 2 of the reel. This axle is provided with a crank 3 and has fixed to it the reel-heads 4, having secured to their inner faces disks 5. Notches 6 and 7 are formed in the peripheries of the disks and the heads and register with each other.

8 denotes reel-bars, which extend across and rest in the notches 7 and are provided with angular arms 9 and with eyes 10.

11 denotes hooks, the inner ends of which are pivoted in the notches 6 and the outer ends of which engage the eyes 10 and hold the reel-bars in the notches 7. To hold the hooks 11 in place, I provide thumb-hooks 12,

which extend through the heads 4 and engage the hooks 11. These thumb-screws 12 are provided with screws 13, which after the hooks 12 have been engaged with the hooks 11 prevent the accidental disengagement of the hooks 12 from said hooks 11.-

The reel shown in Fig. 1 may be mounted in the back end of a farm-wagon and maybe used either for collecting or gathering up the fence-Wire after it has been detached from the posts or may be used for tightening the wire. When used for gathering up the wire after the wire has been wound around the reel, by turning the hooks '12 it will release the hooks 11 and allow said hooks 11 to be swung inwardly. The angle ends of the reelbars are now turned inwardly against the sides of the heads 4, thus permitting the reels to be withdrawnfrorn the reel of wire.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction, operation, and advantages of my improved reel will be readily apparent without requiring an extended explanation.

I It will be seen that the device is simple of construction, that said construction permits of its manufacture at small cost, and that it is exceedingly well adapted for the purpose for which it is designed.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction-may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what is claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. A reel comprising the axle, the heads fixed to said axle, reel-bars,hooks connecting the reel-bars to the heads, and hooks for locking the first-named hooks, substantially as set forth.

2, A reel comprising the axle, the heads fixed to said axle, reel-bars, hooks connecting the reel-bars to the heads, and spring-actuated hooks for locking the first named hooks, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with the axle and the heads fixed thereto and provided with notches in their peripheries, of reel-bars fitted in said In testimony whereof I: hai e hereunto set notches and provided with eyes, hooks carmy hand in presence of two subscribing witried by said heads and adapted to engage said nesses.

eyes, and thumb-hooks carried by said heads JOHN H. LUDLOW. and adapted to lock the first-named hooks in Witnesses:

engagement with said eyes, substantially as J W. KIRKBRIDE,

set forth. 7 O. HILDRETH. 

